Silas starts handbag business with N$150
At a time when many young Namibians are struggling to find jobs, some are turning to small businesses to earn aliving and support their families. 25-year-old Josophina Silas, popularly known as Sabakatan. . .
At a time when many young Namibians are struggling to find jobs, some are turning to small businesses to earn aliving and support their families. 25-year-old Josophina Silas, popularly known as Sabakatan Trading, started making handbags with just N$150 she earned from braiding hair. Silas, who is also a hairdresser, said the idea came after she watched a video about people buying locally made products. At the time, she was charging N$50 per hairstyle. After serving three customers, she had saved N$150 and decided to buy materials to make handbags. “When I went to buy the material, I realised the money was not enough. I was disappointed, but I found a leftover piece of material that was being sold at a lower price,” she recalled. Using the material, she made three handbags and sold them at an open market. The money she earned was used to buy more material. “I kept doing the same thing over and over. I would sell the bags and buy more material until I built up my stock,” she said. She started the business in September 2024 and now employs one person. She hopes to employ more people in the future once the business expands. Like many young Namibians, she has had to put her studies on hold because of financial difficulties. She completed Grade 12 and was studying dental assisting before running out of funds. Namibia continues to face high levels of unemployment, especially among young people. For many school leavers and graduates, finding work remains difficult, forcing them to depend on small businesses and informal trading to survive. She said running a small business is not easy. “Some weeks there are no customers at all. Then there are times when you are very busy and working long hours,” she said. One of her biggest challenges is raising enough money to buy equipment and expand the business. “The profits are small because I need to keep my products affordable. It takes a long time to save enough money for machines and other equipment,” she explained. The business is her main source of income. Besides supporting herself, she also helps her mother and contributes towards her sister’s medical expenses. When handbag sales are slow, she turns to hairdressing to earn extra money. “If people are not buying bags, I braid hair to make sure I have money for daily needs,” she said. Silas said she has never received government assistance for her business. [email protected]